Automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus.



PATENTED FEB. 28,- 1905.

0. E. BUBLL. AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APBLIOATIOH FILED MAY 12. 1899.

Jim e UNITED STATES Patented February 28, 1905.

PATENT EEicE.

CHARLES E. BUELL, OF NORTH PLATNFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEVV' YORK.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,418, dated February 28, 1905. Application filed May 12, 1899. Serial No. 716,614. I

To In whom it 12141.7 concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. BUELL, a resident of North Plainfield. Somerset county, State of New Jersey, have invented Improvements in Automatic Fire-Extinguishing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

M y invention relates to valves through which a fluid under pressure is supplied, and more especially to means for operating an indicator or alarm when said valve is closed or partially closed to shut off or reduce the effective supply of liquid.

The invention may be employed in connection with any suitable form of valve and in any desired relation, and is of especial advantage in fire-sprinkler systems, where it is of great importance that the supply-valve shall not be unintentionally left closed or be closed by malicious persons without the fact that the valve is closed or has been tampered with being brought to the attention of the proper persons.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicient means for indicating that the supply-valve is not in the proper condition for the passage therethrough of the proper amount of fluid; and to that end the invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view showing the supply-valve and means for controlling the operation of an indicator from said valve, and Fig. 2 is a view showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a supply-valve V, of any ordinary form, connected to the main supply-pipe MS and to the main riser P of a system of sprinkler-pipes. The

\ valve-stem VS of the valve V is adapted to be turned by the usual operating-wheel H and is provided with a screw-threaded portion to enable the valve to be raised from its seat, as shown. The valve-stem VS when in its raised position is adapted to receive a screw in to lock the valve in its open position, so that it cannot be accidentally closed.

Connected to the valve V is a rod 9-, which carries a small valve 41, arranged and adapted to close the outlet of the pipe 71 when the large or main valve V is in the position of fully open. The pipe 7) extends through the casing of the main valve and is connected on the exterior of said casing with pipes 1, 2, and 8, which lead to the pressure-actuated apparatus, consisting of the pressure-gage G and the water-motor M. Attached to the axis or arbor of the motor M is a spring strikerhammer it, which when the motor is set in operation will strike the bell 7) and sound an alarm.

Connected to and driven by the water-motor M is a magneto-electric generator M0, which when set in motion will give risev to currents of electricity which can be sent to a remote point for making operative an alarm at some distance to signify that the main valve has been turned from the position of fully open. The gage or pressure-indicator G is intended to be located in the factory-oflice and can be made to also give an alarm by the closing of a local bell-circuit in a well-known manner, when the pointer or hand is forced away from the zero-point by the admitted pressure.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the main valve V is moved from its open or raised position by screwing down the valve-stem VS, the small valve n will move from its seat on the opening of the bent pipe 6p and water will be admitted to the pipes 1, 2, and 8. The water thus admitted to said pipes will cause the pressure-gage to register the pressure of said admitted water and will put in operation the water-motor M, which will sound the local alarm-bell b and cause the electric generator M0 to send an alarm over the wires 20 w to any desired point.

Fig. 2 shows a main valve V, in which the valve-stem VS does not move upand down with the valve in opening and closing, as is the case with the form of valve shown in Fig.

1; but the valve moves up and down on the valve-stem. This is a common form of valve, and its construction and mode of operation are well known. The valve-stem VS is screwthreaded at St and provided with a nut-like attachment 1, that is connected to the rod 7' of the supplemental valve o Secured to the exterior of the casing of the main valve V is a case me, which incloses the supplemental valve o and is provided with a suitable valveseat. A pipe t leads from the case me on one side of the supplemental valve to the gage G and other pressure-actuated alarm apparatus. WVith this construction. and arrangement when the main-valve stem is revolved by the handle H to move the main valve V from the position of fully open the nut-like attachment n will be lowered on the valvestem by means of the screw-thread St and the supplemental valve o will be lowered from its seat and open the waterway from the main supply-pipe MS to the pipes l, 2, and 3, admitting water-pressure to the gage G and other pressure-actuated alarm apparatus. By reversing the pitch of the screw-thread on the valve-stem and in the nut-like attachment the supplemental valve can be arranged to be raised instead of lowered from its seat to open the waterway from the main supplypipe to the pressure-actuated alarm apparatus when the main valve is opened.

There are advantages in locating the mechanism for thus denoting the turning of the main valves from their position of open upon the exterior of said main valves. The main valves which are in use can be readily provided with the alarm-valve e, which can be secured upon their exterior and the pipe 42 be connected thereto in the manner shown and the rod j be aflixed to the valve-stem VS at slight cost for the addition of this important feature to sprinkler systems. I

As will be seen, with my construction and arrangement a valve alarm apparatus is provided which indicates any movement, however slight, of the main valve from the position of fully open and when it is not in such a position as to allow the passage therethrough of the proper amount of fluid.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a valve, of an alarm mechanism adapted to be made operative to sound an alarm when the valve is moved from the position of fully open, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with amain valve, of an alarm-valve mechanism secured thereto and adapted to be made operative to sound an alarm when the main valve is moved from the position of fully open, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a main valve of a sprinkler system, of an indicator remote from the valve for indicating when the valveis in position to reduce the supply, and devices controlled by the mechanism for opening and closing the valve for operating said indicator, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the main valve of a sprinkler system, of a branch pipe extending from the main supply to an indicator for denoting the position of the main valve, and a supplemental valve between said main valve and branch pipe arranged to be opened when the main valve is moved from the position of fully open, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the main valve of a sprinkler system, of a branch pipe extending from the main supply to a pressure-actuated apparatus, a supplemental valve normally closing said branch pipe, and connections between said main and supplemental valves whereby the supplemental valve will be opened by the closing of the main valve in whole or in part, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the main valve of a sprinkler system,of an alarm-valve mechanism secured thereto upon the exterior thereof, and adapted to be made operative to cause a flow of water from the main supply to an alarm apparatus by the turning of the main valve, substantially as described.

7. In a valvular mechanism for sprinkler systems, the combination, with a main valve, of a supplemental valve secured upon the exterior of the main valve and movable therewith in an opposite direction therefrom, and adapted to make operative apparatus for denoting the turning of the main valve from its position of open, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a main valve V having a threaded valve-stem VS, of a valve 0 secured upon the casing of said valve V, a rod j connecting the valve-stem VS and valve o for giving motion thereto, and pipe connections from the case of valve "U3 to the main supply-pipe and to apparatus for denoting the movement of the main valve V, substantially as described.

CHARLES E. BUELL.

Witnesses A. (J. BUELL, WM. (J. BUELL. 

